Jane Austen Character Throwdown: Most Aptly Named Character

Emma's ruined outing at Box Hill vexed readers most. Emma, as we have all read, has become the most popular girl's name in the U.S., besting Emily. In keeping with the name theme, who is the most aptly named Jane Austen character? Mr. Wickham or Mr. Knightley. You decide who is

Most Aptly Named

Mr. Knightley, Emma
Mr. Knightley defends Miss Bates with a vengeance, telling Emma in no uncertain terms that she had made cruel sport of a defenseless woman. He also comes to Miss Harriet Smith's rescue, dancing with her when Mr. Elton so rudely snubs her at the Crown Inn ball. Who among us cannot admire such a chivalrous character? Emma observed: "In another moment a happier sight caught her;—Mr. Knightley leading Harriet to the set!—Never had she been more surprised, seldom more delighted, than at that instant. She was all pleasure and gratitude, both for Harriet and herself, and longed to be thanking him; and though too distant for speech, her countenance said much, as soon as she could catch his eye again. His dancing proved to be just what she had believed it, extremely good; and Harriet would have seemed almost too lucky, if it had not been for the cruel state of things before, and for the very complete enjoyment and very high sense of the distinction which her happy features announced."

Mr. Wickham, Pride and Prejudice
The wickedly devilish Mr. Wickham is one of those bad boys who some women tend to love no matter what. On the surface he seems charming, but his selfish actions could have ruined Lydia, since he did not intend to wed her. An unabashed fortune hunter, Wickham almost ruined innocent Georgianna Darcy and badmouthed her brother to Elizabeth, lying to her in the process. Elizabeth eventually caught on to his schemes. She also learned the following information from Mrs. Gardiner about Wickham's behavior in London: "[Mr. Darcy] thought, to secure and expedite a marriage, which, in his very first conversation with Wickham, he easily learnt had never been his design. He confessed himself obliged to leave the regiment, on account of some debts of honour, which were very pressing; and scrupled not to lay all the ill-consequences of Lydia's flight on her own folly alone. He meant to resign his commission immediately; and as to his future situation, he could conjecture very little about it...Wickham still cherished the hope of more effectually making his fortune by marriage in some other country."

Emma's #1

Emma overtakes Emily as the number one girl's name in the U.S.

Seen on the Blogosphere: Mr. Darcy Photoshopped

Matthew fans: Hear me out before you storm my house and tear my door down. I adore Matthew Macfadyen and think his voice is beyond sexy. When a friend asked me which Mr. Darcy I preferred, I said that I could not choose between Colin Firth and Matthew. Both are eye candy and both made my heart pitter patter. These two images attest to the power of photoshop. With or without manipulation, Matthew is handsome, no doubt about it. So why was he turned into an ultra smoothie? Inquiring minds want to know. Posted by Vic, Jane Austen's World

Seen on the Blogosphere: Lecture on Jane Austen

Announcement in the New York Times:

MOUNT VERNON HOTEL MUSEUM AND GARDEN Tuesday at 6 p.m., “The Essential Jane Austen,” a lecture by Elsa Solender, a scholar and former president of the Jane Austen Society of North America; $20; free for members. Hours: Tuesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 421 East 61st Street, Manhattan, (212) 838-6878, mvhm.org; $8; $7 for students; free for members and children under 12.

Read Ms. Solender's PDF article, Recreating Jane Austen's World on Film in this link.

Where Are They Now? Mark Strong

As the new Emma is being filmed, we recall Mark Strong, Emma 1996's dark and forceful Mr. Knightley. Mark has since made a career as a 'bad' man. His latest project is as the villainous Lord Blackwood in Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes. He also did a memorable turn as Archie in Rock n Rolla and as Prince Septimus in 2007's Stardust.

In Mark Strong Reveals Sherlock Holmes Secrets, Mark discussed not only his naughty, naughty character but also how the film will climax. Strong’s villainous role is as Lord Blackwood, a Satanist who uses fear to manipulate and grasp power. Strong says of the scowly bad boy, "There’s a touch of Dracula about him. He needed to have an element of showmanship about him by virtue of the fact that he’s trying to persuade everyone around him that he’s so in league with the Devil that he’s able to conquer death. I just wanted to make him an equal adversary of Sherlock Holmes."

We learn in My Secret Life: Mark Strong that Mark was born Marco Giuseppe Salussolia in Islington, north London, in 1963, to an Italian father and Austrian mother. He first came to prominence in the acclaimed Nineties BBC serial Our Friends in the North.

Sherlock Holmes will be released on Christmas Day in the States, and (perhaps) on Boxing Day in the UK. Read about Mark as Archie in Guy Ritchie's Rock n Rolla in this link. He also played Sir John Conroy in Young Victoria (2009) (with Amanda Richardson at right.) See his 40 sec. YouTube interview below.



See this YouTube Video of Mark as the evil Prince Septimus (To David Usher's Black, Black Heart.)



Read more about Mark in this post: Mark Strong: A Darkly Handsome Mr. Knightley

That Hamilton Woman

In 1941, Vivien Leigh (Scarlet) and Laurence Olivier (Mr. Darcy) starred in That Hamilton Woman, a film directed by Alexander Korda about the mistress of Vice Admiral Lord Nelson, who died in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
Vivien was filmed in the poses of George Romney's portraits of the real Emma, which, along with her reputation as the mistress of a powerful man, made her famous. I found these side by side images of Vivien and Emma by Jean-Pierre Gueroult on Flickr.

• Watch the 1941 film on YouTube.

• Read a short biography of Emma, Lady Hamilton at this site

Clueless the 2nd?

Seen over the blogosphere: From Yahoo Buzz:

Alicia Siverstone was recently overheard talking to Amy Heckerling, the writer and director of Clueless, the movie that was based loosely on Jane Austen's "Emma."

Cher and her friends would reteam at a high school reunion. Let's hope this isn't a false lead! A new Clueless and a new Emma made in the same year would be beyond ironic. Read the article here: Buzz Log

Click here to see the totally buggin movie trailer.

Jane Austen Trails

Jane Austen Regency Week is scheduled for June 20-28th. Those who are lucky enough to live in Great Britain or to visit the land of Jane's birth this summer can visit Alton and Chawton and attend the scheduled events. Click on the site to look for trail leaflets and information about accommodations.

Other links of interest:

• Click here to view photos of Alton, Hamphire
• Chawton Cottage, Hampshire, JASNA
• Iknow Hamphire
• Literary Walks in East Hampshire

Jane Austen Character Throwdown: Ruined Outing

Your choice of Mrs. Bennet as favorite comical character is not surprising, though I see that Mr.Woodhouse has quite a few fans as well. Our next question takes you outdoors. Which planned outing backfired the most - Fanny Price's trip to Sotherton or Emma Woodhouse's picnic on Box Hill?

Ruined Outing

Emma's Picnic on Box Hill, Emma

Nothing goes right for Emma on this planned excursion, which leaves her tearful and feeling lower than low when it ends with Mr. Knightley berating her for her cruel comment to Miss Bates. At first, "There was a languor, a want of spirits, a want of union, which could not be got over", then, "She had never seen Frank Churchill so silent and stupid. He said nothing worth hearing—looked without seeing—admired without intelligence—listened without knowing what she said." Feeling peevish, she embarrasses Miss Bates, prompting Mr. Knightley to admonish her: "Emma, I must once more speak to you as I have been used to do: a privilege rather endured than allowed, perhaps, but I must still use it. I cannot see you acting wrong, without a remonstrance. How could you be so unfeeling to Miss Bates? How could you be so insolent in your wit to a woman of her character, age, and situation?—Emma, I had not thought it possible." By this time we doubt that anything Emma ate at the picnic sat well in her stomach.


Fanny Price's One Hour Wait at Sotherton, Mansfield Park

First left by Edmund and Mary Crawford after she became fatigued during their ramble, Fanny waits on a bench for twenty minutes before the arrival of Henry Crawford, Maria Bertram, and Mr. Rushworth, who forgot to bring the key to the gate. As he walks back to Sotherton to retrieve the key, Maria and Henry slip around the gate, leaving Fanny alone. When Mr. Rushworth returns, Fanny has been waiting on and off for over an hour. Both Fanny and Mr. Rushworth wind up feeling ill-used, especially Fanny: "Fanny was again left to her solitude, and with no increase of pleasant feelings, for she was sorry for almost all that she had seen and heard, astonished at Miss Bertram, and angry with Mr. Crawford. By taking a circuitous, and as it appeared to her, very unreasonable direction to the knoll, they were soon beyond her eye; and for some minutes longer she remained without sight or sound of any companion. She seemed to have the little wood all to herself. She could almost have thought, that Edmund and Miss Crawford had left it, but that it was impossible for Edmund to forget her so entirely."

Pride and Prejudice in Bite Sized Pieces

BBC presents bitesize literature for English Literature, including Pride and Prejudice. In a nutshell, the site describes the context, plot, characters, and themes. Test questions are included. What a great site for teachers and students. Click here to read the synopsis: BBC - the Pride and Prejudice Bitesize Plot, and here for all the rest of the features.

Regency Fashions in Films Ring True

Have you ever wondered if regency fashions in films are accurate? Some times they are and some times they're not. Here's an example of a costumer closely following the actual style of the day. The illustration is from an 1807 Belle Assemblée fashion plate. Compare the arrangement of the lace veil over the hat to the veil worn over a cap by Barbara Leigh-Hunt as Lady Catherine de Bourgh in the 1995 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Very like, is it not?
Posted by Vic, Jane Austen's World

Filming Emma 2009

Click here to watch a video about Chilham, the village in Kent where BBC One's new adaptation of Emma is being filmed. Old Fashioned Girl pointed us to a series of images from the set at this Republic of Pemberley link.

BBC Press Office Announcement about Emma

BBC Information about Romola Garai

Romola Garai, Telegraph article

Juliet Stevenson: Jane Austen Reader

Of seven Naxos audio books in my possession, five are read by Juliet Stevenson, the actress who so brilliantly portrayed Mrs. Elton in 1996’s Emma and whose comical performance as Keira Knightley’s cleavage loving mother in Bend it Like Beckham is my favorite character in the film.

Juliet’s vocal readings of Emma, Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park, Persuasion, and Sense and Sensibility are outstanding. You can hear an 8-minute interview with her about the process at this link:
http://www.audiobooksonline.com/audio/Juliet_Stevenson_interview_Naxos_Audiobooks.mp3

or click here to download the interview to your cell phone: http://beemp3.com/download.php?file=2463503&song=Emma+Interview+Juliet+Stevenson

In the interview, she mentions that her favorite Jane Austen novel is Sense and Sensibility and her least favorite is Pride and Prejudice (read by Emilia Fox, the actress who played Georgianna Darcy in the 1995 film adaptation of P&P). Juliet also enjoyed reading Emma, which she describes as delicious. “The structure is miraculous,” she adds. “[Emma’s] snobbery is completely unforgivable, but miraculously you are on her side.”

A Voice Crafter’s article describes the characteristics of a good audio book reader: A vocal talent suitable for reading a novel has to be able to hold people's attention for long periods of time—hours and hours if need be. They must be able to use their voices to create a certain ambience, to make narration sound different from dialogs, and slightly distinguish between characters without sounding silly, unless, of course, they need to sound silly. They have to have the sort of voice that is not grating, yet not so soothing that it puts people to sleep. They should be able to evoke feelings of warmth, or of anger, or fear. Whatever is appropriate in the course of the tale, or radio drama podcast.

Narrating lengthy text requires excellent story telling ability. Juliet Stevenson has it, as does David Rintoul, who played Mr. Darcy in the 1980 BBC film adaptation. Two of my favorite readers are Maria Burton, Richard Burton’s daughter from his first marriage, and Campbell Scott, the son of George C. Scott and Colleen Dewhurst. A voice talent must be able to perform a variety of roles and use contrasting voices or personality traits to make each character come to life. Reading audio books also requires vocal stamina. A good reader can read up to 10 pages per hour. While short books can be taped in only a few hours, a long book might take weeks to complete. A narrator might work for two to three hours at a time, taking a break every hour or so. Reading speed depends on the narrator, but an average is one and a half to two and a half minutes to record a page or about 40 pages every 90 minutes. A beginning reader might make $40 per finished hour and the best readers can make as much as $300 per hour. - There's Money Where Your Mouth Is, Elaine Clark, p 58

In her interview Juliet reveals why she likes reading for audio book: “You can play anything – an old man, a girl of seventeen. It is really liberating but it is also difficult.” Being able to take liberties with characterizations also attracts her to the medium. In order to be an effective reader she must know the heart and soul of the book, an experience Juliet found enriching.

• View the Jane Austen collection in the Naxos audio book library. Click on the audio sample to listen to Juliet read Emma.

• Naxos has also been featuring audio books of Charles Dickens novels, including Little Dorrit. Click here.

• You can listen to audio readings of Jane's novels at Librivox. While these recordings are free, the vocal readings are generally amateurish. There are some exceptions, Karen Savage is an outstanding example, but generally the quality of the reader is not guaranteed at this volunteer reader site.
  

Watch Little Dorrit Online Until May 3rd

Oh, yes, Little Dorrit had a purply happy ending that culminated in Arthur's and Amy's wedding. If you missed crucial episodes this past month, PBS Masterpiece Classic will be showing the series in its entirety online until May 3rd. Click here to watch Little Dorrit all over again.

Most favorite minor character? In my estimation, Russell Tovey's interpretation of John Chivery as an earnest young man who could not hide his feelings for Amy was masterful. The tender love he expressed in a restrained but vulnerable way simply bowled me over, and the hurt he revealed as he escorted Arthur Clennam to the very same room where the Dorrits were incarcerated in the Marshalsea broke my heart. I will be following Russell's career as an actor with avid interest.


My second favorite minor character in this adaptation was Flora Finching. Poor deluded woman. Ruth Jones's sympathetic yet comic interpretation gave this sad character dignity. Yes she was pathetic, but she was sincere in her love for Arthur and good natured about having lost him to Amy. The fact that Flora was based on a real relationship in Dickens's life made Flora an even more interesting character to my mind. Keen observers will recall Ruth as Mrs. Durbeyfield, Tess's mother, in Tess of the D'Urbervilles.

• For our reviews of this outstanding adaptation, click on this link.

• Also read Ruth's reviews here.

• The Egalitarian Bookworm Chick offers a poll about the minor characters from the series. Mine was for Flora. Who did you vote for?

• If the film's quick denouement confused you, Dickensblog offers some fabulous Clennam Family Secrets explanations.
  

Jane Austen Character Throwdown: Comical Character

Frederick Wentworth's letter pierced your souls and he won the last throwdown with his eloquent words. Jane Austen, known for her sharp observations and satire, peopled her novels with eccentric characters we all recognize, for in our own lives we have met variations of these types. Each in their own way is a superb creation. Who can forget Mr. Collins' obsequiousness, Mrs. Elton's presumptions of superiority, or Sir Walter Elliot's vanity and pride? There are others equally outstanding, but we had to settle on two. This week we ask you: Which Jane Austen character is more comical? Mrs. Bennet or Mr. Woodhouse?

Comical Character

Mrs. Bennet, Pride and Prejudice

Mrs. Bennet's artless pronouncements made both Lizzy and Darcy squirm, but for different reasons. Darcy, because he did not suffer fools gladly, and Lizzy from sheer mortification, as in this instance: "When you have killed all your own birds, Mr. Bingley," said her mother, "I beg you will come here, and shoot as many as you please on Mr. Bennet's manor. I am sure he will be vastly happy to oblige you, and will save all the best of the covies for you." Mrs. Bennett, once a pretty young girl, has long ago lost her husband's respect for her lack of intellect or sense. Intent on getting her five daughters married, she is more concerned about their security than their happiness, yet her silly behavior often undermines their chances for marriage. Her presence enlivens any scene she is in, especially when she gets the vapors or when her jealousy of Charlotte Lucas's marriage to Mr. Collins brings out her mean streak, egged on by Lady Lucas's crowing. "A week elapsed before she could see Elizabeth without scolding her, a month passed away before she could speak to Sir William or Lady Lucas without being rude, and many months were gone before she could at all forgive their daughter."

Mr. Woodhouse, Emma

A masterful comic character, Mr. Woodhouse is seriously against change and overly preoccupied with everyone's health, including his own. Jane Austen describes him best: "Upon such occasions poor Mr. Woodhouses feelings were in sad warfare. He loved to have the cloth laid, because it had been the fashion of his youth; but his conviction of suppers being very unwholesome made him rather sorry to see any thing put on it; and while his hospitality would have welcomed his visitors to every thing, his care for their health made him grieve that they would eat. Such another small basin of thin gruel as his own, was all that he could, with thorough self-approbation, recommend, though he might constrain himself, while the ladies were comfortably clearing the nicer things, to say: "Mrs. Bates, let me propose your venturing on one of these eggs. An egg boiled very soft is not unwholesome. Serle understands boiling an egg better than any body. I would not recommend an egg boiled by any body else—but you need not be afraid—they are very small, you see—one of our small eggs will not hurt you. Miss Bates, let Emma help you to a little bit of tart—a very little bit. Ours are all apple tarts. You need not be afraid of unwholesome preserves here. I do not advise the custard. Mrs. Goddard, what say you to half a glass of wine? A small half glass—put into a tumbler of water? I do not think it could disagree with you."

Little Dorrit: Final Installment

Don't forget to watch the final installment of Little Dorrit on PBS's Masterpiece Classic this Sunday (April 26) at 8 p.m. Believe it or not, all the loose ends will be tied up and most of your questions will be answered. And, yes, there is a happy ending when all is said and done.

Our reviews of the series sit below:

Vic's reviews:

• Little Dorrit and Bankruptcy
  
• Little Dorrit and The Grand Tour
  
• Little Dorrit: The Father of the Marshalsea, The Prison Within the Prisoner
• Little Dorrit: Matthew Macfadyen as Arthur Clennam
• Little Dorrit: The Character of Flora and How She Resembles Charles Dickens' First Love
• Little Dorrit on PBS Masterpiece Classic

Laurel Ann's Reviews:

• Little Dorrit: Recap and Review of Episode Two
• Little Dorrit: Recap and Review of Episode One
• Little Dorrit: Remotely Connected
• What Little Dorrit Should Have Learned from Jane Austen About Money